%0 Journal Article %J JAMA Internal Medicine %D 2022 %T Association of Social Support With Functional Outcomes in Older Adults Who Live Alone. %A Sachin J Shah %A Margaret C Fang %A Wannier, S Rae %A Michael A Steinman %A Kenneth E Covinsky %K health outcomes %K Social Support %X

Importance: Older adults who live alone are at risk for poor health outcomes. Whether social support mitigates the risk of living alone, particularly when facing a sudden change in health, has not been adequately reported.

Objective: To assess if identifiable support buffers the vulnerability of a health shock while living alone.

Design, Setting, and Participants: In this longitudinal, prospective, nationally representative cohort study from the Health and Retirement Study (enrollment March 2006 to April 2015), 4772 community-dwelling older adults 65 years or older who lived alone in the community and could complete activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs independently were followed up biennially through April 2018. Statistical analysis was completed from May 2020 to March 2021.

Exposures: Identifiable support (ie, can the participant identify a relative/friend who could help with personal care if needed), health shock (ie, hospitalization, new diagnosis of cancer, stroke, heart attack), and interaction (multiplicative and additive) between the 2 exposures.

Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were incident ADL dependency, prolonged nursing home stay (≥30 days), and death.

Results: Of 4772 older adults (median [IQR] age, 73 [68-81] years; 3398 [71%] women) who lived alone, at baseline, 1813 (38%) could not identify support, and 3013 (63%) experienced a health shock during the study. Support was associated with a lower risk of a prolonged nursing home stay at 2 years (predicted probability, 6.7% vs 5.2%; P = .002). Absent a health shock, support was not associated with a prolonged nursing home stay (predicted probability over 2 years, 1.9% vs 1.4%; P = .21). However, in the presence of a health shock, support was associated with a lower risk of a prolonged nursing home stay (predicted probability over 2 years, 14.2% vs 10.9%; P = .002). Support was not associated with incident ADL dependence or death.

Conclusions and Relevance: In this longitudinal cohort study among older adults who live alone, identifiable support was associated with a lower risk of a prolonged nursing home stay in the setting of a health shock.

%B JAMA Internal Medicine %V 182 %P 26-32 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6588 %0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology, Series A %D 2022 %T Changes in the Hierarchy of Functional Impairment from Middle Age to Older Age. %A Brown, Rebecca T %A L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez %A W John Boscardin %A Anne Cappola %A Lee, Sei J %A Michael A Steinman %K Activities of Daily Living %K functional impairment %X

BACKGROUND: Understanding the hierarchy of functional impairment in older adults has helped illuminate mechanisms of impairment and inform interventions, but little is known about whether hierarchies vary by age. We compared the pattern of new-onset impairments in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) from middle age through older age.

METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using nationally representative data from 32486 individuals enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study. The outcomes were new-onset impairment in each ADL and IADL, defined as self-reported difficulty performing each task, assessed yearly for 9 years. We used multi-state models and competing risks survival analysis to estimate the cumulative incidence of impairment in each task by age group (ages 50-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85 or older).

RESULTS: The pattern of incident ADL impairments differed by age group. Among individuals ages 50-64 and 65-74 who were independent at baseline, over 9 years' follow-up, difficulties dressing and transferring were the most common impairments to develop. In individuals ages 75-84 and 85 or older who were independent at baseline, difficulties bathing, dressing, and walking were most common. For IADLs, the pattern of impairments was similar across age groups; difficulty shopping was most common followed by difficulty managing money and preparing meals. Complementary analyses demonstrated a similar pattern.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the hierarchy of ADL impairment differs by age. These findings have implications for the development of age-specific interventions to prevent or delay functional impairment.

%B The Journals of Gerontology, Series A %V 77 %P 1577-1584 %G eng %N 8 %R 10.1093/gerona/glab250 %0 Journal Article %J Circulation %D 2021 %T Long-Term Functional Outcomes in Older Adults After Hospitalization for Extracranial Hemorrhage %A Anna L Parks %A Sun Y Jeon %A John J Boscardin %A Michael A Steinman %A Alexander K Smith %A Margaret C Fang %A Kenneth E Covinsky %A Sachin J Shah %K anticoagulation %K antiplatelet drugs %K hemorrhage %X Introduction: Antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications often used to manage cardiovascular disease increase the risk of extracranial hemorrhage (ECH), such as gastrointestinal bleeding. There are few long-term data on the loss of function following ECH. This study’s goal was to measure the acute and persistent loss of independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) after ECH hospitalization. Methods: We used data from 1995-2015 from the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal, nationally representative survey of older Americans. We included subjects over age 65 who consented to Medicare linkage. We examined the association of ECH hospitalization with ability to perform all ADLs independently (walk across a room, dress, bathe, eat, toilet, get out of bed). To compare rates of ADL independence over time between those with ECH and a control group without ECH, we fit a logistic regression model that included an interaction term between ECH hospitalization and time and adjusted for comorbidities and sociodemographics. Results: In a cohort of 8950 with an average follow-up time of 7.3 years (65,335 person-years), 882 (10%) participants were hospitalized for ECH. Mean age was 78, and 59% were women. In the control group without ECH, the baseline rate of ADL independence declined by an average of 3.1% per year (average marginal effect [AME], 95% CI -3.1% to -3.3%). Assuming hospitalization for ECH at 5.2 years, the median time to ECH in this cohort, ECH was associated with an immediate decrease in ADL independence from 68% to 53% (AME -15%, 95% CI -11% to -18%). Following ECH, the average annual baseline rate of function loss did not change. Conclusions: In this nationally representative cohort, ECH hospitalization was associated with an immediate and pronounced decline in function that was equivalent to accelerating ADL disability by 5 years. After ECH, ADL independence continued to decline and did not recover to pre-ECH levels of independence over time. %B Circulation %V 144 %P A10778 %G eng %N Suppl _1 %R 10.1161/circ.144.suppl_1.10778 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of the American Geriatrics Society %D 2021 %T Long-term individual and population functional outcomes in older adults with atrial fibrillation. %A Anna L Parks %A Sun Y Jeon %A W John Boscardin %A Michael A Steinman %A Alexander K Smith %A Margaret C Fang %A Sachin J Shah %K ADL disability %K Atrial Fibrillation %K community living %K IADLS %X

Background: Older adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) have multiple risk factors for disablement. Long-term function and the contribution of strokes to disability has not been previously characterized.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal, observational study in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (1992-2014). We included participants ≥65 years with Medicare claims who met incident AF diagnosis claims criteria. We examined the association of incident stroke with three functional outcomes: independence with activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and community-dwelling. We fit separate logistic regression models with repeated measures adjusting for comorbidities and demographics to estimate the effect of stroke on function. We estimate the contribution of strokes to the overall population burden of functional impairment using the method of recycled predictions.

Results: Among 3530 participants (median age 79 years, 53% women, median CHA DS -VASc 5), 262 had a stroke over 17,396 person-years. Independent of stroke and accounting for population comorbidities, annually, ADL dependence increased by 4.4%, IADL dependence increased by 3.9%, and nursing home residence increased by 1.2% (p<0.05 for all). Accounting for comorbidities, of those who experienced a stroke, 31.9% developed new ADL dependence, 26.5% developed new IADL dependence, and 8.6% newly moved to a nursing home (p<0.05 for all). Considering all causes of function loss, 1.7% of ADL disability-years, 1.2% of IADL disability-years, and 7.3% of nursing home years could be attributed to stroke over 7.4years.

Conclusion: Older adults lose substantial function over time following AF diagnosis, independent of stroke. Stroke was associated with a significant decline in function and an increase in the likelihood of nursing home move, but stroke did not accelerate subsequent disability accrual. Because of the high background rate of functional loss, stroke was not the dominant determinant of population-level disability in older adults with AF.

Impact statement: We certify that this work is novel. Little is known about long-term function (ADL, IADL, community-dwelling) among older adults with AF and the association with stroke. This nationally representative study finds a high rate of function loss independent of stroke, and among those who suffer a stroke, a dramatic and immediate decline in function. Because of the high rate of function loss independent of stroke and the relatively low rate of stroke, on a population level, stroke is not the dominant determinant of disability in older adults with AF.

%B Journal of the American Geriatrics Society %V 69 %P 1570-1578 %G eng %N 6 %R 10.1101/2020.05.04.20091025 %0 Journal Article %J JAMA Internal Medicine %D 2019 %T Association of functional impairment in middle age with hospitalization, nursing home admission, and death %A Rebecca T Brown %A L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez %A W John Boscardin %A Sei J. Lee %A Brie A Williams %A Michael A Steinman %K Functional limitations %K Hospitalization %K Mortality %K Nursing homes %X Importance Difficulty performing daily activities such as bathing and dressing (“functional impairment”) affects nearly 15% of middle-aged adults. Older adults who develop such difficulties, often because of frailty and other age-related conditions, are at increased risk of acute care use, nursing home admission, and death. However, it is unknown if functional impairments that develop among middle-aged people, which may have different antecedents, have similar prognostic significance. Objective To determine whether middle-aged individuals who develop functional impairment are at increased risk for hospitalization, nursing home admission, and death. Design, Setting, and Participants This matched cohort study analyzed longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative prospective cohort study of US adults. The study population included 5540 adults aged 50 to 56 years who did not have functional impairment at study entry in 1992, 1998, or 2004. Participants were followed biennially through 2014. Individuals who developed functional impairment between 50 and 64 years were matched by age, sex, and survey wave with individuals without impairment as of that age and survey wave. Statistical analysis was conducted from March 15, 2017, to December 11, 2018. Exposures Impairment in activities of daily living (ADLs), defined as self-reported difficulty performing 1 or more ADLs, and impairment in instrumental ADLs (IADLs), defined similarly. Main Outcomes and Measures The 3 primary outcomes were time from the first episode of functional impairment (or matched survey wave, in controls) to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and death. Follow-up assessments occurred every 2 years until 2014. Competing risks survival analysis was used to assess the association of functional impairment with hospitalization and nursing home admission and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the association with death. Results Of the 5540 study participants (2739 women and 2801 men; median age, 53.7 years [interquartile range, 52.3-55.2 years]), 1097 (19.8%) developed ADL impairment between 50 and 64 years, and 857 (15.5%) developed IADL impairment. Individuals with ADL impairment had an increased risk of each adverse outcome compared with those without impairment, including hospitalization (subhazard ratio, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.77-2.19), nursing home admission (subhazard ratio, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.99-3.45), and death (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.74-2.45). After multivariable adjustment, the risks of hospitalization (subhazard ratio, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.36-1.75) and nursing home admission (subhazard ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.24-2.43) remained significantly higher among individuals with ADL impairment, but the risk of death was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.85-1.32). Individuals with IADL impairment had an increased risk of all 3 outcomes in adjusted and unadjusted analyses. Conclusions and Relevance Similar to older adults, middle-aged adults who develop functional impairment appear to be at increased risk for adverse outcomes. Even among relatively young people, functional impairment has important clinical implications. %B JAMA Internal Medicine %8 Aug-04-2019 %G eng %U http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0008http:///jamainternalmedicine/article-pdf/doi/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0008/17440339/jamainternal_brown_2019_oi_190001.pdf %! JAMA Intern Med %R 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0008 %0 Journal Article %J PLoS One %D 2017 %T Bringing functional status into a big data world: Validation of national Veterans Affairs functional status data %A Rebecca T Brown %A Kiya D Komaiko %A Shi, Ying %A Kathy Z Fung %A W John Boscardin %A Au-Yeung, Alvin %A Tarasovsky, Gary %A Jacob, Riya %A Michael A Steinman %E Hernandez-Boussard, Tina %K Daily activities %K Functional status %K Veterans %X Background The ability to perform basic daily activities (“functional status”) is key to older adults’ quality of life and strongly predicts health outcomes. However, data on functional status are seldom collected during routine clinical care in a way that makes them available for clinical use and research. Objectives To validate functional status data that Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers recently started collecting during routine clinical care, compared to the same data collected in a structured research setting. Design Prospective validation study. Setting Seven VA medical centers that collected complete data on 5 activities of daily living (ADLs) and 8 instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) from older patients attending primary care appointments. Participants Randomly selected patients aged 75 and older who had new ADL and IADL data collected during a primary care appointment (N = 252). We oversampled patients with ADL dependence and applied these sampling weights to our analyses. Measurements Telephone-based interviews using a validated measure to assess the same 5 ADLs and 8 IADLs. Results Mean age was 83 years, 96% were male, and 75% were white. Of 85 participants whom VA data identified as dependent in 1 or more ADLs, 74 (87%) reported being dependent by interview; of 167 whom VA data identified as independent in ADLs, 149 (89%) reported being independent. The sample-weighted sensitivity of the VA data for identifying ADL dependence was 45% (95% CI, 29%, 62%) compared to the reference standard, the specificity was 99% (95% CI, 99%, >99%), and the positive predictive value was 87% (95% CI, 79%, 93%). The weighted kappa statistic was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.41, 0.68) for the agreement between VA data and research-collected data in identifying ADL dependence. Conclusion Overall agreement of VA functional status data with a reference standard was moderate, with fair sensitivity but high specificity and positive predictive value. %B PLoS One %V 12 %P e0178726 %8 Jan-06-2017 %G eng %U http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178726 %N 6 %! PLoS ONE %R 10.1371/journal.pone.0178726 Free full text %0 Journal Article %J Annals of Internal Medicine %D 2017 %T Functional Impairment and Decline in Middle Age: A Cohort Study. %A Rebecca T Brown %A L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez %A W John Boscardin %A Sei J. Lee %A Michael A Steinman %K Activities of Daily Living %K Functional limitations %K Memory %K Older Adults %X

Background: Difficulties with daily functioning are common in middle-aged adults. However, little is known about the epidemiology or clinical course of these problems, including the extent to which they share common features with functional impairment in older adults.

Objective: To determine the epidemiology and clinical course of functional impairment and decline in middle age.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: The Health and Retirement Study.

Participants: 6874 community-dwelling adults aged 50 to 56 years who did not have functional impairment at enrollment.

Measurements: Impairment in activities of daily living (ADLs), defined as self-reported difficulty performing 1 or more ADLs, assessed every 2 years for a maximum follow-up of 20 years, and impairment in instrumental ADLs (IADLs), defined similarly. Data were analyzed by using multistate models that estimate probabilities of different outcomes.

Results: Impairment in ADLs developed in 22% of participants aged 50 to 64 years, in whom further functional transitions were common. Two years after the initial impairment, 4% (95% CI, 3% to 5%) of participants had died, 9% (CI, 8% to 11%) had further ADL decline, 50% (CI, 48% to 52%) had persistent impairment, and 37% (CI, 35% to 39%) had recovered independence. In the 10 years after the initial impairment, 16% (CI, 14% to 18%) had 1 or more episodes of functional decline and 28% (CI, 26% to 30%) recovered from their initial impairment and remained independent throughout this period. The pattern of findings was similar for IADLs.

Limitation: Functional status was self-reported.

Conclusion: Functional impairment and decline are common in middle age, as are transitions from impairment to independence and back again. Because functional decline in older adults has similar features, current interventions used for prevention in older adults may hold promise for those in middle age.

Primary Funding Source: National Institute on Aging and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through the University of California, San Francisco, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.

%B Annals of Internal Medicine %V 167 %P 761-768 %G eng %N 11 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29132150?dopt=Abstract %R 10.7326/M17-0496 %0 Journal Article %J Alzheimers Res Ther %D 2016 %T Desire for predictive testing for Alzheimer's disease and impact on advance care planning: a cross-sectional study. %A Sheffrin, Meera %A Stijacic-Cenzer, Irena %A Michael A Steinman %K Advance care planning %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Alzheimer disease %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Female %K Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice %K Humans %K Male %K Patient Acceptance of Health Care %X

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether older adults in the United States would be willing to take a test predictive of future Alzheimer's disease, or whether testing would change behavior. Using a nationally representative sample, we explored who would take a free and definitive test predictive of Alzheimer's disease, and examined how using such a test may impact advance care planning.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study within the 2012 Health and Retirement Study of adults aged 65 years or older asked questions about a test predictive of Alzheimer's disease (N = 874). Subjects were asked whether they would want to take a hypothetical free and definitive test predictive of future Alzheimer's disease. Then, imagining they knew they would develop Alzheimer's disease, subjects rated the chance of completing advance care planning activities from 0 to 100. We classified a score > 50 as being likely to complete that activity. We evaluated characteristics associated with willingness to take a test for Alzheimer's disease, and how such a test would impact completing an advance directive and discussing health plans with loved ones.

RESULTS: Overall, 75% (N = 648) of the sample would take a free and definitive test predictive of Alzheimer's disease. Older adults willing to take the test had similar race and educational levels to those who would not, but were more likely to be ≤75 years old (odds ratio 0.71 (95% CI 0.53-0.94)). Imagining they knew they would develop Alzheimer's, 81% would be likely to complete an advance directive, although only 15% had done so already.

CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative sample, 75% of older adults would take a free and definitive test predictive of Alzheimer's disease. Many participants expressed intent to increase activities of advance care planning with this knowledge. This confirms high public interest in predictive testing for Alzheimer's disease and suggests this may be an opportunity to engage patients in advance care planning discussions.

%B Alzheimers Res Ther %V 8 %P 55 %8 2016 12 13 %G eng %U http://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-016-0223-9http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13195-016-0223-9.pdf %N 1 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27955707?dopt=Abstract %! Alz Res Therapy %R 10.1186/s13195-016-0223-9 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of General Internal Medicine %D 2011 %T Conducting High-Value Secondary Dataset Analysis: An Introductory Guide and Resources %A John Z. Ayanian %A Kenneth E Covinsky %A Landon, Bruce E. %A Ellen P McCarthy %A Wee, Christina C. %A Michael A Steinman %K Datasets %K Meta-analyses %K Survey Methodology %X Secondary analyses of large datasets provide a mechanism for researchers to address high impact questions that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to study. This paper presents a guide to assist investigators interested in conducting secondary data analysis, including advice on the process of successful secondary data analysis as well as a brief summary of high-value datasets and online resources for researchers, including the SGIM dataset compendium (www.sgim.org/go/datasets). The same basic research principles that apply to primary data analysis apply to secondary data analysis, including the development of a clear and clinically relevant research question, study sample, appropriate measures, and a thoughtful analytic approach. A real-world case description illustrates key steps: (1) define your research topic and question; (2) select a dataset; (3) get to know your dataset; and (4) structure your analysis and presentation of findings in a way that is clinically meaningful. Secondary dataset analysis is a well-established methodology. Secondary analysis is particularly valuable for junior investigators, who have limited time and resources to demonstrate expertise and productivity. %B Journal of General Internal Medicine %V 26 %P 920-929 %G eng %N 8 %R 10.1007/s11606-010-1621-5 %0 Journal Article %J J Am Geriatr Soc %D 2011 %T Volunteering, driving status, and mortality in U.S. retirees. %A Sei J. Lee %A Michael A Steinman %A Erwin J Tan %K Activities of Daily Living %K Aged %K Automobile Driving %K Female %K Health Status %K Humans %K Male %K Prospective Studies %K Retirement %K Risk Factors %K Social Behavior %K Survival Rate %K United States %K Volunteers %X

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how accounting for driving status altered the relationship between volunteering and mortality in U.S. retirees.

DESIGN: Observational prospective cohort.

SETTING: Nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study in 2000 and 2002 followed to 2006.

PARTICIPANTS: Retirees aged 65 and older (N=6,408).

MEASUREMENTS: Participants self-reported their volunteering, driving status, age, sex, race or ethnicity, presence of chronic conditions, geriatric syndromes, socioeconomic factors, functional limitations, and psychosocial factors. Death by December 31, 2006, was the outcome.

RESULTS: For drivers, mortality in volunteers (9%) and nonvolunteers (12%) was similar; for limited or non-drivers, mortality for volunteers (15%) was markedly lower than for nonvolunteers (32%). Adjusted results showed that, for drivers, the volunteering-mortality odds ratio (OR) was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.66-1.22), whereas for limited or nondrivers, the OR was 0.62 (95% CI=0.49-0.78) (interaction P=.05). The effect of driving status was greater for rural participants, with greater differences between rural drivers and rural limited or nondrivers (interaction P=.02) and between urban drivers and urban limited or nondrivers (interaction P=.81).

CONCLUSION: The influence of volunteering in decreasing mortality seems to be stronger in rural retirees who are limited or nondrivers. This may be because rural or nondriving retirees are more likely to be socially isolated and thus receive more benefit from the greater social integration from volunteering.

%B J Am Geriatr Soc %I 59 %V 59 %P 274-80 %8 2011 Feb %G eng %N 2 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21314648?dopt=Abstract %2 PMC3089440 %4 Activities of Daily Living/Automobile Driving/driving Patterns/Health Status/Prospective Studies/Retirement planning/Risk Factors/Social Behavior/Social Behavior/Survival/volunteering %$ 62776 %R 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03265.x %0 Journal Article %J J Gen Intern Med %D 2001 %T Self-restriction of medications due to cost in seniors without prescription coverage. %A Michael A Steinman %A Laura Sands %A Kenneth E Covinsky %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Cohort Studies %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Female %K Humans %K Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services %K Male %K Prescription Fees %K Risk Factors %K Socioeconomic factors %K Treatment Refusal %K United States %X

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about patients who skip doses or otherwise avoid using their medications because of cost. We sought to identify which elderly patients are at highest risk of restricting their medications because of cost, and how prescription coverage modifies this risk.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study from the 1995-1996 wave of the Survey of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old, a population-based survey of Americans age 70 years and older.

MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were asked the extent of their prescription coverage, and whether they had taken less medicine than prescribed for them because of cost over the prior 2 years. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify risk factors for medication restriction in subjects who lacked prescription coverage. Among these high-risk groups, we then examined the effect of prescription coverage on rates of medication restriction.

MAIN RESULTS: Of 4,896 seniors who regularly used prescription medications, medication restriction because of cost was reported by 8% of subjects with no prescription coverage, 3% with partial coverage, and 2% with full coverage (P <.01 for trend). Among subjects with no prescription coverage, the strongest independent predictors of medication restriction were minority ethnicity (odds ratio [OR], 2.9 compared with white ethnicity; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.0 to 4.2), annual income <$10,000 (OR, 3.8 compared with income > or =$20,000; 95% CI, 2.4 to 6.1), and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs >$100 per month (OR, 3.3 compared to costs < or =$20; 95% CI, 1.5 to 7.2). The prevalence of medication restriction in members of these 3 risk groups was 21%, 16%, and 13%, respectively. Almost half (43%) of subjects with all 3 risk factors and no prescription coverage reported restricting their use of medications. After multivariable adjustment, high-risk subjects with no coverage had 3 to 15 times higher odds of medication restriction than subjects with partial or full coverage (P <.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Medication restriction is common in seniors who lack prescription coverage, particularly among certain vulnerable groups. Seniors in these high-risk groups who have prescription coverage are much less likely to restrict their use of medications.

%B J Gen Intern Med %I 16 %V 16 %P 793-9 %8 2001 Dec %G eng %N 12 %L pubs_2001_Steinman_MJGenIntMed.pdf %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903757?dopt=Abstract %4 Aged, 80 and Over/Cohort Studies/Cross Sectional Studies/Female/Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services/Prescription Fees/Risk Factors/Socioeconomic Factors/Support, U.S. Government--non PHS/Support, U.S. Government--PHS/Treatment Refusal %$ 4300 %R 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2001.10412.x